Relationship between sociodemographic characteristics and mental health outcomes among university students in Malaysia

Abstract

Purpose: To investigate sociodemographic factors associated with mental health among undergraduate students from different faculties at a Malaysian public university.Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 1556 undergraduate students of 11 faculties of Universiti Sultan Zainal Abidin (UniSZA), Malaysia. The Depression, Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21) and the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ-12) were used to measure mental health components in the population. The sample was stratified by faculty ratios, and Chi-square test, one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and multiple linear regression were used to compare differences.Results: There was a significant association between faculty and depression, anxiety, and stress (p < 0.001). Female students had significantly higher anxiety compared to male students (p < 0.05). However, ethnicity was only associated with stress (p < 0.05) and age was negatively related to anxiety scores (p < 0.05).Conclusion: Mental health problems among university students and associated sociodemographic factors vary across specific fields of study, gender and age. This indicates the need for department- or faculty-based mental health interventions and sociodemographic approaches.